What a win or a loss could really mean for Minnesota against Nebraska

Bottom line: The Gophers need to play well and win to keep the boat rowing in the right direction.

Oct 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) hands the ball off to running back Darius Taylor (1) against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Beat Nebraska, and Minnesota could be on the verge of something special. Lose, and the wheels could quickly fall off for a Gophers team that hasn't played a complete game since starting the season 2-0 with impressive wins over Buffalo and Northwestern State.

Against California, Koi Perich made uncharacteristic mistakes and questionable play calls stood out in a 27-14 loss. In a comeback win over Rutgers, Minnesota's run defense was subpar and the rushing attack generated just 35 yards.

The Gophers were then blown out by the national champion favorite, Ohio State, before beating Purdue despite being dominated in virtually every aspect of the game. Now they square up with No. 25 Nebraska in a game that will send Minnesota's season one of two ways.

What happens if Minnesota beats Nebraska?

A victory would move the Gophers to 5-2 ahead of next week's game at Iowa. Riding a two-game win streak in the Big Ten before one of the toughest road games of the season would give the Gophers quality momentum, and the Hawkeyes are beatable.

While every game on the schedule could go either way, a win over Nebraska could give Minnesota the confidence boost necessary to overcome the demons that typically haunt the Gophers at Kinnick Stadium.

If the Gophers find themselves at 6-2, they could get to 7-2 in a home game against Michigan State on Nov. 1. The Gophers should be favored to win that game. In this scenario, the Gophers might be ranked entering the No. 14 game at Oregon.

Even if they lose at Oregon, which is to be expected, they would be 7-3 with games against Northwestern and Wisconsin remaining. That would put them within reach of nine wins and a significant bowl game.

What happens if Minnesota loses to Nebraska?

A loss would drop the Gophers to 4-3 and raise plenty of questions ahead of the Iowa matchup. The Hawkeyes are hosting Penn State this week, and with a win, they would be 5-2 with their losses coming to ranked opponents (Iowa State and Indiana).

A loss at Iowa would then drop Minnesota to .500, while also crushing the hope of an eight- or nine-win season and likely preventing the Gophers from playing in a substantial bowl game.

How they win or lose matters

If the Gophers beat Nebraska in ugly fashion — similar to their win over Purdue — it's going to inspire very little confidence. Had the Gophers been playing a team better than Purdue, they likely would've lost by double digits.

Fans need to see Drake Lindsey turn things around after he completed just 21 of 45 passes last week. He needs to play at a much higher level, and his receivers need to create separation so he isn't forced to squeeze passes into tight windows.

Fans also need to see Darius Taylor and the ground game get going. Nebraska is 17th in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed per game, although that metric is skewed by one bad game in which Michigan pounded them for more than 275 rush yards.

Taylor has the talent to break out, but he's averaging 3.7 yards per carry this year. That's a shockingly low number after he went for 5.3 yards per rush in 2023 and 4.8 yards per carry last season.

If Minnesota loses and plays poorly, nobody in their right mind will pick them to win at Iowa next week, and that could have a snowball effect that turns into a significant losing streak, possibly putting a bowl game bid in jeopardy.

Bottom line: The Gophers need to play well and win to keep the boat rowing in the right direction.